Gregoire offers up no-new-taxes budget that freezes pay; workers say they’ll seek better deal from Legislature: Gov. Chris Gregoire unveiled a two-year state budget to close a $5.7 billion budget gap by freezing pay for some 250,000 state and school workers, assumes an infusion of nearly $1 billion from the federal government and slashes state spending by elminating programs and laying off workers.

Gregoire releases budget with deep cuts: Gov. Chris Gregoire Thursday released a Washington state budget that cut deeply into health and human services, education and natural resources to close a projected $5.7 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes.

Budget: cuts, transfers, fed bailout: Continuing Washington state government’s current path over the next 2 1/2 years would cost about $5.7 billion more than the state expects to get from dwindling tax collections. Gov. Chris Gregoire expects revenue to fall even further this spring.

What a difference a biennium makes: The Governor just finished her press conference on the proposed 2009-11 budget and the news was as grim as predicted. For the UW, in less than two years we have gone from the best budget in twenty years to a significant state funding reduction.

Pay raises, public aid, schools face cuts in next state budget: Gov. Chris Gregoire waded into a river of red ink Thursday and proposed a no-new-taxes budget that would make deep cuts in general spending, eliminate pay increases for public employees and reduce the state’s health care safety net and money for schools.